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The Via Combusta extends from 15 Libra to 15 Scorpio. Traditionally it has a reputation for being an unfortunate area, especially for the Sun and Moon because it spans the two signs where the luminaries experience the debility of fall. I don?t over-emphasis its importance myself, it seems to be more ominous in some charts than others ? usually where there?s an overall theme of destruction or menace. If a planet is around 23/24 Libra I would probably consider the influence of the prominent fixed stars as overcoming or at least modifying any malefic influence that the Via Combusta might have. (I don't think any star is reliably 'lucky' but for the sake of the argument let's accept that these two are generally accepted as fortunate for certain activities).

It?s worth considering that the Via Combusta has been fixed by tradition into the tropical zodiac whereas the fixed stars, although termed fixed, experience slow movement through the zodiac. So those stars wouldn?t have been in the Via Combusta in say Ptolemy?s era. We?re dealing with two separate frames of reference ? we either unite them at a symbolic level to create a meaning that merges the principles together, or allow one frame of reference to dominate the other. Ultimately everything comes down to forming individual judgments on each unique chart so I doubt that there is a bog-standard answer to this one. My own would be to suggest that the Via Combusta is traditionally known as unfortunate, but the degrees around those fixed stars require special consideration.